Unction boosted regular Petards with all available upgrades are capable of inflicting 3257 damage versus buildings in a single explosion. They will also possess 393 hit points, 4.40 speed and double (12) their usual melee attack power. However their hand attacks are still ineffective in actual combat.
The Germans can ship four Nitro Petards through the "Demolition Squad" card which have more than thrice the hit points and almost triple the siege attack of regular Petards, allowing them to destroy most buildings in one hit.
Asian civilizations can get Petards by allying with the British and Portuguese at the Consulate, which provides shipments that includes Petards listed below.
When the Petard attacks a building, it shows that the soldiers who carry the bomb will attempt to escape from the explosion, but do not succeed and die.
Despite the model featuring two men carrying the bomb, the Petard only uses a single population slot.
Although Petards are excellent for destroying buildings, they are very weak at fighting other units by using hand combat. Petards cannot blow up on units to kill them, making them defenseless to any soldiers.
History[]
“
The term petard first emerged during medieval times, referring to a small and notoriously unstable explosive device similar in concept and usage to the modern grenade. The name probably derives from the Latin "petar," which means, "to break wind" (an example of the military mind's wry sense of humor.)
To be "hoisted by one's own petard" is a phrase commonly thought to mean something along the lines of "being hung with your own rope"; or, to stay true to the actual context of an explosive device, to be blown up by your own bomb. The saying is derived from Shakespeare's Hamlet. The bard wrote:
"For 'tis the sport to have the engineer Hoist with his own petar"
+25% hit points and attack
+25% 
+50% hit points and attack
Thin Red Line (+20%, British only)
Cree Tanning (+5%)
Navajo Weaving (+5%)
Yoga (+5%)
Military Drummers (+10%)
Tilly's Discipline (+20%, Germans only)
Incan Road-building (+20%)
Apache Endurance (+5%)
Town Watch (+2)
Standing Army (-25%)
Incan Chasquis Messengers (-25%)
Coffee Trade (-10% speed, Dutch only)
